The Southern Rhône: New releases

This is one of the most celebrated blends of the southern Rhône, notable for its high proportion of Mourvèdre. This variety gives it cool cassis fruit, structure and length. Grenache adds sweet berry tones and a supple texture, and Syrah a dark, powerful concentration, with liquorice intensity. The 2021 is pure and charming, with bright, juicy fruit and a lithe, refreshing feel.

This is a perennial favourite at Lay & Wheeler, and invariably sells out quickly,such is the quality on offer for the price. The 2020 has such a precise peppery nose, with mouth-coating fresh berry fruit on the palate. The Coudoulet vineyard lies right next to Château de Beaucastel’s main block, and is in fact a continuation of the same soil features. That it lies just beyond the limit of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape boundary, and made by one of the southern Rhône’s greatest winemaking families, means it might just be the best Côtes du Rhône money can buy.

Baron Louis is Montfaucon's flagship red, and is a testament to Rodolphe’s efforts to preserve local traditions and old rare varieties. The base is a classic 50% Grenache. But the other half is made up of floral Cinsault, powerful Mourvèdre, fresh Counoise, and fruity Carignan. The fruit is rich and creamy, with black plum, cherry and bramble. There's a purity of fruit this year but some subtle woody herb hints on the palate. The good value for money here cannot be overemphasized.

Made from 18 grape varieties, white and red, all picked when ready and fermented in the same tank, meaning a long continuous ferment. This results in a very complex wine with layers of spice, truffle and earth. One year in barrique before resting in concrete and bottle.

Ripe and velvety, with a lithe, fresh feel. Leathery, earthy, licorice spice along with dark plum and cherry fruit. Red berry acidity and a garrigue note on the finish.

Ripe and velvety, with a lithe, fresh feel. Leathery, earthy, licorice spice along with dark plum and cherry fruit. Red berry acidity and a garrigue note on the finish.

This classic, old-school Châteauneuf from Jean-Paul Versino is one of our favourites. It comes from a blend of 27 plots, making for a balanced, complete, and inviting grenache-based Châteauneuf. It is dry and savoury, with the gorgeous combination of red berry fruit, dried herbs, spice and just a hint of licorice. In 2021, there's a charming, easy-going feel to the wine, with only 14% alcohol and plenty of lifted, fresh acidity. This will drink well from early on, and evolve into an earthy, complex wine in the cellar.

Only made in the better vintages Jean-Paul thinks around 10% of the wine this year has gone into Cuvée Félix, from their 27 plots across 16 hectares. It contains 30% Mourvèdre which lends a musky, cool blackcurrant character. Finely packed tannins coat the mouth and there's a lot of dark fruit concentration on the palate. Floral hints and fresh acidity builds to a fine finish, this should be fantastic with a few years in bottle.

This is Julien’s flagship wine. It is rich and woven-through with ripe tannin and forest berry flavours. It has a silky body and a bright, red-fruit-driven finish.

The domaine might have 15 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but a wine you shouldn’t miss is this cuvée, from lesser-known Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne just to the south. The name is a nod to their ability to throw off the constraints of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape regulations in this peppery and fragrant wine. It is mainly Grenache with some Mourvèdre, Carignan and Syrah thrown in for good measure.

Pure is 100% Grenache, all from 100 year old vines on sandy soils. The result is very intense, and, as the name suggests, pure. There's tons of black fruit here, surrounded by rich, chocolately textures and spicy flavours. This needs time in bottle to weave together, but already impresses.

This comes from gnarled 70-year-old vines in neighbouring Gigondas. Its 70% Grenache base gives it a juicy fluidity and composure. 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre add their peppery spice and frame to the win beautifully. In 2021 this is full of bright, fragrant red berry fruit with a juiciness in the core and subtle spices. There's plenty of structure here but it already feels like it's softening and broadening out in a generous, balanced wine.

There's a hefty dose of Syrah here, giving a richness and black olive character to the wine. In 2021 there's some tighter, crunchy red fruit and some sappiness to the acidity. But the depth of flavour is there making it plummy and generous.

Thierry and Gilles Faravel make wines from various appellations, and numerous single vineyard or special cuvée labels, but by far and away the focus and priority of the domaine is this, their blended Gigondas. Its flagship position is well deserved. It comes from the first vineyards planted by their father in the 1960s. The 2021 has soft, fragrant berry fruit, with blackberry, blueberry and damson. There's delicate exotic spice and a juicy freshness to the finish. The tannins are fine, already well integrated and add texture and a gourmand quality.

From grapes grown just north of the boundary of the Châteauneuf appellation, surrounding the winery, this has to be one of our greatest hidden gems. Don't let the Côtes du Rhône label fool you, this is so much more than your average Côtes du Rhône. In 2020 it is full of brambly fruit and peppery garrigue notes along with dried flowers and savoury spice. There's lots of texture building on the palate but it feels tightly coiled now with restraint. As it opens it shows more generosity with fresh fruit and dry spice, with a very subtle hint of truffle.

This is from the lowest slopes at Vieille Julienne, a great site for Grenache, which loves its sandy, pebbly soils. The vines have an average age of 75+ years, and the wine is concentrated but poised. The Grenache gives generosity and breafth, and 10% Counoise brings some softer notes, freshness and balances the natural power of the wine. Lots of plush dark fruit flavours and firm structure, with a crunchy, red fruit accent and a minerally, stony finish.

As the name suggests, this is higher up than the surrounding vineyards, and its elevation affords it a freshness and also a heightened concentration. The 2020 is musky, fragrant and full of garrigue notes. Rich with blackcurrant fruit at the core, with more aromatic bramble and exotic spice as the wine opens up.

This is from the lowest slopes at Vieille Julienne, a great site for Grenache, which loves its sandy, pebbly soils. The vines have an average age of 75+ years, and the wine is concentrated but poised. The Grenache gives generosity and breafth, and 10% Counoise brings some softer notes, freshness and balances the natural power of the wine. Lots of plush dark fruit flavours and firm structure, with a crunchy, red fruit accent and a minerally, stony finish.

From grapes grown just north of the boundary of the Châteauneuf appellation, surrounding the winery, this has to be one of our greatest hidden gems. Don't let the Côtes du Rhône label fool you, this is so much more than your average Côtes du Rhône. In 2020 it is full of brambly fruit and peppery garrigue notes along with dried flowers and savoury spice. There's lots of texture building on the palate but it feels tightly coiled now with restraint. As it opens it shows more generosity with fresh fruit and dry spice, with a very subtle hint of truffle.

This is made in tiny quantities, from vines well over 100 years old. The soil is pure sand, and the resulting wine is very concentrated, with ripe fruit and layers of complex spice. It's long and precise, with very fine, densely packed tannins.

The three Cayron sisters make a consistently age-worthy, traditional style of Gigondas that has earned them a strong following over the years. Cayron refers to the peak of the Dentelles Mountains beneath which the Gigondas appellation is nestled. This wine has such a deep, sumptuous colour, and the nose and palate are packed with rich blackcurrant fruit and minty freshness. The wine is neither fined nor filtered; old-school winemaking at its best.

Fresh red berries with floral notes on the nose. Same again on the palate with some more bramble, orange peel and exotic spice flavours. Grippy tannins at this young stage but a great core of silky red fruit and great freshness.

Dark bramble fruit with herbal notes and earthy, savoury spice. The tannins are tightly packed and fine, with a powerful, muscular structure. Warmth on the palate but with lifted, juicy red berry acidity.

Planted at 400m on a slope, Les Hauts de Julien is made from 90 year old Syrah vines co-planted with Grenache. The blend is 50/50 of those two varieties and the result is a rich and spicy wine that offers fantastic value for money. There's lots of Syrah character with smoky, white pepper notes and sappy freshness. There's great concentration and depth of rich, black fruit flavour with a more rustic, almost Cornas-esque structure.